Bar lifting mechanism for mowing machines



No. 6ll,978. Patented Oct. 4, I898. C. S. SHARP.

BAR LIFTING MECHANISM FOR MOWING MACHINES.

' (Application file r1 June 4, 1896.) (No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

m: NORRIS PEYERS co, mu'ro-u'mou wuumo'ron, a. c

No. 6ll,978. Patented Oct. 4, I898. c. s. SHARP.

BAR LIFTING MECHANISM FOR MOWING MACHINES.

(Application filed June 4, 1896.) r Mullah) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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% V mam. I ggw w Nb. sums. I Patented Oct. 4, I898. c. s. SHARP.

BAR LIFTING MECHANISM FOR MOWING MACHINES.

(Application filed. June 4, 1896.) (N 0 M 0 d e I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

fnum for:

Patented Oct. 4, I898. B. 8. SHARP.

BAR LIFTING MECHANISM FDR MOWING MACHINES.

( No Model.)

(Application filed June 4, 1896.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4'.

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m: NORRIS virus :20, PHoro-uma, WASHINGTON ac.

llNiTnn STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

CHARLES S. SHARP, OF AUBURN, NEYV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE D. M.

' OSBORNE & COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BAR-=LIFTING MECHANISM FOR iViOWlNG-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,978, dated October 4, 1898.

Application filed June 4, 1896. Serial No. 594,261. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. SHARP, of Auburn, countyof Cayuga, State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Bar- Lifting Mechanism for Mowing-lvlachines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to bar-lifting mech anism for mowing-machines, wherein both a hand-lever and a foot-lever are employed as the operating members; and it has for-its obj ect to improve and simplify the construction of such mechanism.

The invention therefore consists in certain details of construction of the bar-lifting mechanism, substantially as will be hereinafter described.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a mowingmachine having bar-lifting mechanism embodying this invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged section of the machine shown in Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 00 at; Fig. 3, a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 4:, 5, 6, and 7, details to be referred to, and Fig. 8 a modification to be referred to.

The foot-lever a, pivoted to the frame of the machine at a, projects upwardly in front of the operator and has several perforations a at different points, into any one of which one end of a link I) may be hooked, the opposite end' of said link entering a slot or hole 0, formed at the outer end of a crank-arm c, which is secured to and projects downwardly from one end of a transverse rock-shaft d, having its bearings in a suitable bearing-box c, secured to the under side of the pole of the machine.

The transverse rock-shaft d (see Fig. 7 is made hollow for lightness and is made of a length to project beyond its bearing-box, at each end thereof, and it has placed upon and secured to its end opposite said crank-arm c a bell-crank lever f, or said rock-shaft d and lever f may be castintegral. A lifting-spring g is connected at one end to the upper angle of the bell-crank lever f and at its opposite end to an arm g on the frame of the machine. The upper end of a link h is connected to the forward end of said bell-crank lever f, and the lower end of said link h is connected to one arm of a bell-crank lever 11, pivoted'at i to the frame of the machine, and a link is connected to the other arm of said bell-crank lever 7;, which extends laterally and is hooked into an eyepiece 7c, adj ustably secured to the upper end of an upright arm m, pivotally connected at its lower end, as at m, to a boss m on the bar to be lifted, said boss being located close to the fulcrum of said bar and construct ed to present an abutment at its inner side for said arm m. The adjustable connection of the eyepiece It to the upper end of said upright arm m is made by providing said arm with a slot and passing the pin which secures the eyepiece to the arm through said slot.

Instead of adjustably connecting the outer end of the link j to an eyepiece attached to the upper end of the upright arm, as shown in Fig. 4, it may be connected directly to said arm-as, for instance,.it may engage an eye formed in the arm, as shown in Fig. 8.

The outer side wall of the boss m to which the upright arm on is pivoted, is cut away, as shown in Fig. 1, to permit ample movement or play of the bar independently of the upright arm on and parts connected with it, and, if desired, an adjustable stop m (see Fig. 8) may be screwed into and through the opposite or abutting side wall of said boss to serve as a limiting-stop against which the upright arm m bears, thus varying the relative positions of the bar and upright arm.

An upwardly-projecting hand-lever n is rigidly secured to the transverse rook-shaft d, which may be used as an operating-lever for said rock-shaft when desired, and said hand lever is secured to that end of said rock-shaft opposite the crank-arm c to which thefootlever is connected.

It will be observed that the hand-lever and foot-lever connect with the opposite ends of the transverse rock-shaft at opposite sides of the pole, and a long bearing for said rock-shaft is thus provided.

In raising the cutter-bar as, for instance, to pass an obstacle--the foot-lever a is pushed forward in a direction away from the operator IOO to its limit of motion, actuating the various parts above described, and if further movement of the cutter-bar is desired the handlever n will be operated by being turned on its pivot toward the operator and depressed, at which time the arm a will be moved with the shaft d, to which it is attached, independent of the link I), owing to the slot 0. WVhen the hand-lever n is thus moved toward the operator and depressed, it may be caught under a snub or hook or, attached to the draftpole. The shoulder e on the bearing-box e limits the forward movement of said handlever n.

The perforations a in the foot-lever a adapt it to accommodate short and long legged men, and, furthermore,when the link I) is connected in the forward hole it will cause the slotted arm when operated by said foot-lever to be thrown just as far forward as it can be carried by the hand-lever.

The link j, connecting one arm of the bellcrank lever 11 with the upper end of the arm m, is made longitudinally adjustable, so that the points of attachment of said link may be brought nearer together or farther apart, as desired. When the distance between said points of attachment is shortened, the upper end of the upright arm mwill be correspondingly drawn nearer to the vertical arm of the bell-crank lever t, and consequently the outer end of the bar will be held at an elevation and when responding to the operation of the handlever or foot-lever will rise higher than when said link j is lengthened, and the balance of the bar may thus be changed. I do not desire, however, to limit my invention to the employment of this particular form of adj ustin g device for accomplishing this result.

It will be observed that an essential feature of this invention is the transverse rock-shaft d and hand-lever and foot-lever connected therewith at the opposite ends in such manner that the hand-lever may be operated to rock the shaft and lift the bar by the operator drawing it toward him and that the footlever may be operated to rock said shaft and lift the bar by the operator pushing it away from him and toward the hand-lever, and also that said levers may be operated separately or conjunctively, as desired.

I claim The bar-lifting mechanism for mowing-machines herein described consisting of a rockshaft, a crank-arm and a bell-crank lever secured thereto, a pivoted foot-lever connected by a link with said crank-arm a hand-lever secured to said rock-shaft close to said bellcrank lever, said foot and hand levers being movable toward and from each other to rock said shaft, a lifting-spring attached to,the upper angle of said bell-crank lever, another bell-crank lever connected with the aforesaid bell-crank lever by a link, and an arm on the bar to be lifted, the upper end of which is connected by a link with said last-named bellcrank lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES S. SHARP.

Witnesses:

FRED M. EVERETT, RAYMOND M. ATHERLY. 

